Title: A brief study on the economic and technical feasibility of a small biomass power plant - the case of Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Authors: Márcio Eduardo Zuba; Anderson Catapan; Marília De Souza; Marcus Vinicius Gonçalves Da Silva

Addresses: Professional Master's Program in Planning and Public Governance, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3165 CEP, 80.230-901 Curitiba PR, Brazil ' Professional Master's Program in Planning and Public Governance, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3165 CEP, 80.230-901 Curitiba PR, Brazil ' Professional Master's Program in Planning and Public Governance, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3165 CEP, 80.230-901 Curitiba PR, Brazil ' Professional Master's Program in Planning and Public Governance, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3165 CEP, 80.230-901 Curitiba PR, Brazil

Abstract: Brazil is one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world, and the uncontested leader in sugarcane production. One main by-product of sugarcane is bagasse which has a high energy potential and is used as fuel in large thermal power generation stations located within sugar and ethanol plants. However, this is not the reality of small sugarcane producers, which use just a fraction of bagasse as animal feed, improperly discarding outdoors all the rest, thus causing many environmental problems. The objective of this paper is, from a case study conducted in a small town in Paraná (Southern Brazil), to check the technical and financial feasibility of implementing local-level small-scale thermal power generation stations, which could use the surplus sugarcane biomass. The conclusion not only indicates it is feasible, but also that there are benefits that go beyond the financial sphere, regarding the environment and the national energy deficit.

Keywords: renewable energy; sugarcane biomass; biomass power plants; bagasse; morretes; energy deficiency; electricity; energy prices; electricity demand; economic feasibility; technical feasibility; small power plants; Brazil; case study; thermal power generation.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2016.082204

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2016 Vol.12 No.4, pp.353 - 370

Received: 18 Feb 2016
Accepted: 22 Nov 2016
Published online: 12 Feb 2017 *

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